Construction Updates at the Disneyland Resort

Published: May 14, 2011 at 5:37 PM

As we enter the Summer theme park season, many of you are planning a trip to the Disneyland resort. While regular Theme Park Insider readers and the many Disneyland Annual Pass holders are aware of the impact of the various construction projects throughout the resort, less frequent visitors should be aware of what they'll encounter with DCA's great makeover and smaller projects at Disneyland.

Don't be fooled by the construction walls. Disney California Adventure park is open. The entrance line starts at the center of the walls and travels around to the left.

Once in the park you'll see a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater under construction near where the sun icon once stood. To the right a cinder block structure is being erected and a path between the walls leads to the Wharf and Paradise Pier. This narrowing of the path means there are no parades currently at DCA.

To the left of the Carthay Circle Theater the center of the street is ripped up to extend the trolley tracks from the Hollywood Pictures Backlot into the entrance plaza. Follow the signs placed on the walls to choose the correct side for the attraction you want to get to.

Back to the right Carsland continues to grow in the former farm area and the last segment of the old parking lot.

The Little Mermaid building is just about finished and the attraction will open to the public at the beginning of June. Expect big crowds, but it should have a decently high ride capacity.

The walls extend past the souvenir stand and to the dining area. The two restaurants here are receiving heavy makeovers, the souvenir and corn dog stands receive apparently minor refreshes, and Mulholland Madness is rethemed to Goofy's Sky School. According to the Disney Parks Blog this section of the pier will reopen July 1st.

Back over at Disneyland park the big project is the Star Tours update. Construction walls pinch traffic through the already congested Tomorrowland entrance. When the attraction opens in early June the lines should be very long, but Fastpass will be available. Arrive early to snag a Fastpass if you want to ride with minimal wait.

The mural on the Star Tours building has been updated to reflect the ride and story updates. Looks good.

Star Tours' Fastpass capability comes at the expense of Buzz Lightyear. Fastpass is no longer offered at this attraction and the entrance has been updated.

Elsewhere in the park Splash Mountain is wrapping up an extended refurbishment which will bring Critter Country back up to full capacity. The Disneyland Hotel continues its extensive remodel and that maze of construction walls deserves its own update.

If you have any questions as you plan your summer visit to the Disneyland resort, head to the discussion section.

I'm part of the group of about 1,200 people who get to see Star tours on May 20th. I'll send pics via Facebook or something similar. I suspect there will be so many there that it will be a moot point for me. All I know is that we're required to be at DL around 4am on 5/20 to get into line for a 9am opening.